It's time to go bananas

Raw banana curry

Ingredients: Two peeled and chopped raw bananas; 4 tbsps of oil; 1 tsp of mustard seeds; 1 tsp of cumin seeds; a pinch of asafoetida; 1 tsp of turmeric powder; 2 tbsps of rice flour and salt to taste.

Method: Peel the raw bananas and chop them into roundels. Don’t slice them too thick or thin. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, asafoetida and let them splutter. Add the chopped raw bananas to the spices and fry for three to four minutes on low heat. Add salt and sprinkle a little bit of water. Let the bananas cook for a minute or two. Cook till they are done, and add rice flour. Sauté the curry well and serve hot.

Banana stem curry

Ingredients: A medium-sized banana stem; 1 tsp of turmeric powder; 2 tbsps of moong dal; 2 tbsps of oil; 1 tsp of cumin seeds; 1 tsp of mustard seeds; a pinch of asafoetida; 4 tbsps of grated coconut and salt to taste.

Method: Peel the banana stem and chop into small pieces. Put these pieces in a bowl of salt water to prevent change of colour. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Now add the chopped stems and fry for a minute or two. Add moong dal and sauté. Sprinkle some water and cook for three to four minutes. Add salt and mix well. Lastly, add the grated coconut and combine. Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Note: Sprinkle some sugar while cooking the stem to reduce the bitterness.

Banana stem raita

Ingredients: A finely chopped medium-sized banana stem; 2 tbsps of grated coconut; 2 chopped green chillies; 5 tbsps of yogurt; 2 tbsps of oil; 1 tsp of mustard seeds; 1 tsp of cumin seeds; a few curry leaves and salt to taste.

Method: In a bowl, add the chopped banana stem, yogurt (adjust the quantity according to your preference), salt, coconut, green chillies and mix well. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Let these ingredients sputter. Add this tempering to the curd mixture and combine.

Raw banana cutlets

Ingredients: Two boiled and mashed raw bananas; 1 potato (boiled and mashed); 2 chopped green chillies; 2 tsps of chaat masala; 2 tsps of dry mango powder; 2 tsps of red chilli powder; 2 tsps of garam masala; a few chopped coriander leaves, salt to taste.

Method: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste. Shape the cutlet mixture into small disks and shallow fry till golden brown. Serve hot with mint and coriander chutney.

Raw banana pakodas

Ingredients: Two chopped raw bananas; 5 tbsps of gram flour; 2 tsps of ajwain; 2 tsps of red chilli powder; a pinch of baking soda; a pinch of turmeric powder; asafoetida and salt to taste.

Method: Slice the raw bananas into disks. To make the batter, add gram flour, all the other spices in a bowl and add some water and mix well. Don’t make the batter too watery or too thick. Adjust the seasoning. Dip the sliced bananas into this mixture and fry. Serve hot with mint and coriander chutney.